Opinion Contributor

Why GOP won't vote for payroll tax

To be sure, tax cuts of any kind can add to the federal deficit—but only if they are unaccompanied by revenue increases. If lawmakers are really worried about the short-term deficit effect of a payroll tax cut, they can, and should, offset those cuts with tax increases on the wealthiest Americans.

That’s what the deficit-neutral American Jobs Act would do — merely by putting a limit on the value of itemized deductions enjoyed by Americans who make more than $250,000. That’s why Senate Democrats are offering to offset extended and expanded payroll tax cut — with a 3.25 percent surtax on incomes of more than $1 million.

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The president’s proposal would also pay for extending emergency unemployment benefits, which would also expire Dec. 31 without congressional action. Congress has never before cut off these crucial benefits when unemployment was so high. Doing so now would be a real blow to the nearly six million Americans, who have been out of work for at least six months.

Despite the clear value of what they would pay for, Republicans have proclaimed the revenue-raising proposals dead on arrival — though the average effective tax rate paid by millionaires has plummeted from about 30 percent in 1995 to just 22 percent in 2009; and even though nearly 70 percent of millionaires believe people with incomes above $1 million in income should pay higher taxes, according to an October Spectrum Group survey.

Republicans’ theatrical opposition to All Things Obama this year has sometimes obscured the fact that their votes are focused on protecting the top 1 percent of Americans — even if it means hurting the middle class. This week’s vote forces them to show their true colors.

It should raise serious questions in the public’s mind about the principles of conservatives now: Are they for tax cuts in general, or just on the top 1 percent? Would they really deny working families a valuable tax break in these tough economic times, just to shield the most privileged from paying their fair share?

We’re about to find out.

John Podesta is chairman of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

If Obama wants to extend the payroll tax cut, why does he include a poison pill in his legislative proposal? This fellow is pure politics. His policies hurt us folks the most. Does he think that we don't notice?

It's interesting to note that all of the policies John Podesta promotes and Pres. O'Bama enacts, make George Soros richer by increasing the value of his gold deposits. This makes Podesta, Soros, and Pres. O'Bama the real one percenters.

You republicans are so hell bent on defeating Obama that you would compromise the well being of the country to see him fail....even as your obstruction contribute to that failure. FSDA....yes we do see that Obama cares for the unemployed...he cares for the 32 million uninsured that would have health care....he cares about jobs for the middle class and not continuing to favor the rich like your party of hypocrite republicans. You are the true traitor and those morons who think like you do......filled with hate and racism. All you people do is call the president names and repeat the same lies you hear on fox noise........pathetic excuses for americans

The payroll tax cut needs to be extended. Absolutely. And millionaire's need to pay up, they haven't truly felt the burden of tax since the late 50's, and this has led to the worst income inequality seen since before WWII.

But this isn't our "big solution". We need a political compromise and and a new sort of "new deal". Unfortunately, with the congress we have right now, that's not going to happen and we'll be stuck in an extremely long recovery.

Middle Class America does not trust the GOP so, conclusion they will lose in 2012, even though the people is not happy with President Obama we all know that he has failed because of Republicans do not want this country to move on and helping with jobs.

But preparations by Democratic operatives for the 2012 election make it clear for the first time that the party will explicitly abandon the white working class.

What is the "white" stuff? Why do you find it necessary to even elude to "white working class" references. Get a grip dude...we are all Americans no matter what ethinic group you identify with..........please stop this divisive language.........

how about a compromise, replace the payroll tax cut with an equivilent income tax reduction. eliminating the payroll tax cut would only hurt social security funding.

There will still be inequality...........the best and only thing to do is let the Bush Tax cuts expire and do what congress is doing now act on the parts like payroll tax tax cuts to offset/lessen the damaging effects by doing away wih the parts that matter in growing the economy and reducing the deficit. Compromise on that premise.......

You all must be the misinformed Fox voters even Newt is commenting on the lack of true information and fact on Fox. Pleas turn it off and study economic and history so you have some basis for you statement. The republicon conservative economic that we have been following for the last 30 yrs (trickle down) has not worked. We are now paying the lowest taxes in our modern history. Yet we are paying for two wars and tryto get out of a depression. Taxs during the 40 and f50's were over 80% at the highest level. They viewed it as their patriotic duty. This isn't about taxes this about weakening the power of the government so the corporacray can steamroll over the rest of us. Wake up before you are slave labor in a right wing third world country.

The GOP won't extend tax cuts, but they are voting to make it easier for terroist to get on planes. What a bunch of dumb a.s.s. representatives these idots have turned out to be. Expect more of the same if you vote for redumblicans especially Tea Party Morons.

The payroll tax cut needs to be extended. Absolutely. And millionaire's need to pay up,

The SS/ payroll tax is all for Social Security. It is not the income tax. Allowing the cuts simply diminishes the long term viability of the Social Security system, a program that was always meant to be self funding and separate from the general fund.

Allow the SS/ payroll tax cuts to end and those funds to go back into the social security trust fund. Then, Congress should keep their hands off that fund, stop borrowing from it.

This is ludicrous -- comical . . . . we used to have a problem with Social Security. Baby boomers were retiring so fast that those left working could surely not fund it, and the program would be collapsing even sooner - so hey, why not just reduce the amount the workers are paying into S.S. . . . . yeah, that's it -- we'll take even more of the income OUT of Social Security, and at the same time, we'll reduce Medicare funding by $500 billion.

Congressional Republicans seem focused on two things to the near exclusion of everything else — helping the wealthiest 1 percent and hurting President Barack Obama. Not necessarily in that order.

Gee thanks for your radical liberal/progressive talking points J.P..

I wonder if you could explain to the American people what policies progressives plan to modify, so the policies you are pushing don't make the country end up looking like California?

Your ideas have ruined the economy of what once was the 6th largest economy in the world.

So how would you modify the tax the rich programs, business taxes and regulations, the Global Warming plans, the social welfare plans, the Dream Act, the Cap and Trade programs, renewable energy programs, public employee pension/benefit plans, and a long list of other far left plans that have resulted in runaway deficits, and the 2nd highest unemployment in the nation?

There are a few that claim to be independent on here that are not.They are no more than radical tea partyer that are doing what we know their kind to do is to lie and decieve.They never have anything healthy to add to the conversation only deception,but no need to care,for god know their kind and his justice for hate mongers is right around the corner.Skint is another one that post his blanket racsium,and singing that message he get from their messenger Shawn Hannity,or Rush Limbaugh.They do not care about nothing, no one.Only speading lies and hate.Come 2012,when president Obama win re- election,their true color will be expose when god shine his light on them,and show them as the heatless people they are.